Hershey's Kiss Rosebud Favor

18-guage florist wire (cut in two equal lengths with wire cutters to get more roses per pack,
or make long-stemmed rosebuds if you desire)

Green florist tape

Silk rose leaves (optional)

Ribbon (optional)

Tools needed:

Scissors (to cut the cellophane into squares)

Wire cutters (to cut the wires in half, or trim the rose stems after they are made)

Instructions:

1. Optional first step: Using a small square of the double-sided tape, stick two foil-wrapped
Hershey's Kisses together, bottom to bottom. (This isn't strictly necessary, but it helps some
folks handle the kisses while wrapping.)

2. Take a four 1/2-inch square of cellophane. Place the tip
of one of the kisses in the center of the square, then wrap the cellophane
around both kisses, gathering the corners together around the tip of the
other kiss. Wrap the gathered corners together as tightly as you can without
tearing the florist tape.

3. Insert a florist wire into the gathered cellophane until it
meets the tip of the Hershey's Kiss. (DO NOT push the wire into the chocolate!
Many people have written to me to tell me that this makes the rosebud easier to
make, but there is a good reason not to do this. Florist wire is not
"food safe," and toxic substances from the paint and metal of the wire can
contaminate the chocolate and make it unsafe to eat. Please be sure that
when you make your rosebuds that the wire and the chocolate do not actually
come in direct contact. An alternate to using wire is to use wood/bamboo skewers, which
can be safely inserted into the kiss...many thanks to Kim for suggesting this!)

4. Tape the "rosebud" onto the wire with the florist tape. Continue
taping down the length of the wire until it is completely covered.

One reader writes: "I got married on June 5, 1999 and I made these as a thank you gift. We
made about 250 and placed them in a small basket with styrofoam and it
looked like a rose bush. This is a great idea."

Another reader, Kim, writes: I am in the process of making these for my upcoming wedding. I've found that instead of using the wire and then wrapping tape around it, it is much less of a pain to use green pipe cleaners instead. It looks just as good, but it is a faster process. Also, to add a personal touch, we used a metalic marker and wrote our names and the date on single leaf we attatched to each one.

From another reader: I've made these for special events and instead of using floral
wire, I used long wooden skewers. They are pointy on one end and goes into the
tip of the kiss nicely. Then you can wrap as directions say.

Elise writes: I've made these as bouquets. Instead of sticking the wire
in the cellophane at the end, bend the wire so the head has a small circle,
lay it flat against the bottom of the kiss then place another kiss on top.
Then wrap with cellophane. Its much easier to handle. Also, you can make
an "open" flower by using a small reeses cup with a kiss on top.

Marilyn writes: Instead of using wire, pipe cleaners, or skewers I used green colored
lollipop sticks that are used for making candy molded lollipops.